The game will be shown on RSN and specific television channels will be released this week.

Maryland (23-6, 14-4 ACC) earned a first round bye for the eighth time under head coachBrenda Frese. The Yellow Jackets (14-15, 7-11) and the Demon Deacons (12-18, 5-13) will play Thursday at 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to take on the Terrapins. Maryland’s 14 conference wins are a school record.

Maryland is 49-25 (.662) all-time in the ACC Tournament and is 14-8 (.636) under Frese. The Terrapins are 13-6 all-time as the No. 2 seed (.684). Maryland won the program’s 10th ACC title last year as the No. 3 seed with a 68-65 win over fourth-seeded Georgia Tech. ACC Tournament MVP Alyssa Thomas scored 29 points in the championship game to lift the Terps.

Senior Tianna Hawkins has led the ACC in scoring all season long. She averages 18.5 points per game, which is the most any Terrapin has averaged in a single season since Deanna Tate averaged 19.8 in 1988-89. Hawkins is second in the league rebounding with 9.4 per contest. The senior recently broke the 1,000-rebound mark and is third on Maryland’s all-time list. She currently has 1,518 career points.

Thomas, the 2012 ACC Player of the Year, leads the league in rebounding with 10.3 per game and is third in scoring (17.9) and second in assists (5.2). The junior leads the league with 17 double-doubles this year, including 12 in ACC play.

For game times and the latest on the ACC Tournament, log on to http://www.theacc.com/championships/acc-womens-basketball-tournament.html. All rounds will be televised.

A printable bracket can be found at http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/md/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2013ACCTournamentBracket.pdf.

• Coming off a 78-68 setback at Georgia Tech on Wednesday, Maryland looks to bounce back on the road when it visits Wake Forest Saturday at noon. The Terps have won five straight against the Demon Deacons, prevailing by an average margin of 18.8 points per game in that winning streak.

• In the first meeting with Wake Forest this season, Maryland used 67.3 percent shooting – the fifth-best single-game mark in program history – to win 86-60. The Terps used a balanced scoring attack, with six players scoring in double figures: Logan Aronhalt (13), Seth Allen (12), Jake Layman (12), Alex Len (12), James Padgett (12) and Dez Wells (11). Maryland assisted on 21 of 35 field goals in that game and shot 68.8 (11-16) percent from 3-point range.

• Dez Wells continued his strong play on the road with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with four assists at Georgia Tech. Wells leads Maryland in scoring in road games this season, averaging 15.8 points per game on 57.6 percent shooting. He also has a team-high 55 assists in conference play (3.7 per game).

• Also reaching double figures at Georgia Tech were Alex Len (13 points), Seth Allen (12) and Nick Faust (10). Maryland shot 42.9 percent in the game, but allowed the Yellow Jackets to shoot 51 percent, as they became just the third team this season to exceed the 50 percent mark against the Terrapins. On the season, Maryland is holding opponents to 37.9 percent shooting, a mark which leads the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranks 11th nationally.

• A corps of young players continue to lead Maryland, as seven of the 10 players in the regular rotation are underclassmen, and 80 percent of the scoring coming from underclassmen. Maryland’s top four scorers – Alex Len, Dez Wells, Nick Faust and Seth Allen – are underclassmen.

Maryland-Wake Forest Series History

• Maryland leads the all-time series with Wake Forest, 67-56, which dates back to 1952-53. The Terps have won 10 of 12 since 2006, and five straight.

• Maryland has won the three meetings with Wake Forest since Mark Turgeon took over as head coach, by an average margin of 18.0 points per game. In addition to the 86-60 win earlier this season, the Terps defeated the Demon Deacons 70-64 at home on 1/11/2012 and 82-60 on 3/8/2012 in the ACC Tournament first round.

• Following a last-second defeat at the hands of Florida State on Wednesday, Maryland returns home to face Wake Forest in a Saturday matinee. The Terps are 13-1 in Comcast Center this season, with the lone loss coming to the Seminoles, 65-62, on Jan. 9.

• Against Florida State, Maryland lost for the first time this season when holding a lead with 5:00 to play after winning its previous 14 in that scenario. The Terps went ahead 62-54 on Alex Len’s dunk with 6:56 left, but the Seminoles went on a 6-0 run and eventually tied it at 66-66 on Ian Miller’s jumper with 2:32 left. Dez Wells scored the final five points for Maryland, knocking down a 3-pointer and a long two, but FSU drew within 71-70 on a Michael Snaer jumper with 45 seconds left. Snaer then knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left.

• Wells, who scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half against FSU, leads the team in scoring in conference games with 12.1 points per game. In Maryland’s four conference road games he’s averaged 17.8 points per game and on the season, is averaging 12.2 points, second on the team behind Alex Len (12.8).

• The Terps had their best offensive output – shooting 49.1 percent and totaling 71 points – since the conference opener against Virginia Tech, when they shot 51.7 percent and totaled 94 points. They had been 11-0 this year when shooting better than 45 percent and 10-0 when scoring more than 70 points, but for the second straight game the opponent also shot better than 45 percent and scored 70-plus points.

• Still, Maryland has been one of the better teams in the nation in terms of field goal percentage defense, having entered the week ranked fourth in that category at .360. Just Kansas (34.9), Texas (35.3) and Syracuse (35.9) have held opponents to a lower percentage.

Maryland-Wake Forest Series History

• Maryland leads the all-time series with Wake Forest, 66-56, which dates back to 1952-53. The Terps have won 9 of 11 since 2006. At home, Maryland leads the series 37-18.

• The Terps have won four straight, including both meetings last season. The Terps defeated the Demon Deacons 70-64 at home on 1/11/2012 and 82-60 on 3/8/2012 in the ACC Tournament first round.

Hartsfield named Linebacker of the Week, Diggs named Rookie of the Week

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Demetrius Hartsfield and Stefon Diggs received player of the week honors from the ACC for their play in Maryland’s 19-14 win over Wake Forest, the league announced Monday.

Hartsfield was named the Linebacker of the Week while Diggs received Rookie of the Week honors for the second time this season.

Hartsfield led a strong defensive effort as the Terrapins held the Demon Deacons to 241 yards of total offense, including just 45 in the second half and four in the fourth quarter. Hartsfield finished with 10 tackles, seven of them solo, one pass breakup and a sack. His sack of Wake quarterback Tanner Price on fourth-and-15 with under a minute to play essentially sealed the victory for Maryland.

Diggs, who also received Rookie of the Week honors for his play at West Virginia, turned in his second straight 100-yard receiving game by hauling in five passes for 105. His 63-yard reception in the fourth quarter, the longest by a Terrapin this year, set up the game-winning one-yard touchdown run by Justus Pickett.

On that play, Diggs caught a pass over the middle six yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and then took it 57 yards after the catch. The freshman also had 20 punt return yards and seven rushing yards, and ranks second in the ACC with 154.8 all-purpose yards per game.

A Terrapin has won Rookie of the Week honors in three of Maryland’s last four games (Perry Hills vs. Temple, Diggs vs. West Virginia, Diggs vs. Wake Forest.

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – Maryland opens Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday when Wake Forest, which has already played three league games (1-2 record), visits Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. The Terps are coming off their bye week and are expected to be mostly healthy after battling injuries throughout the season’s first four games. Those injuries have played a part in Maryland seeing 12 true freshmen take to the field, which ranks as the ninth most in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

First-and-10

• With a number of experienced playmakers, the defense has been the most consistent unit for Maryland. The Terps rank eighth nationally in total defense (261.25 ypg), 11th in rushing defense (83.5 ypg) and 18th in passing defense (177.75 ypg). Maryland has been very tough against the run with an experienced front seven highlighted by senior defensive linemen Joe Vellano and A.J. Francis, and senior linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield. Those three have played a big role in holding opponents to an average of just 2.3 yards per rush, which ranks ninth nationally. Maryland held a high-powered West Virginia offense that came in averaging 226 rushing yards per game to just 25 yards on 25 attempts. It’s also been a disruptive defense – Maryland’s 2.5 sacks per game are tied for 39th in the FBS and its 7.5 tackles for loss per game are tied for 22nd. The Terps received a major boost to their linebacking corps with the return of Kenneth Tate in the West Virginia game. Tate, a 2010 consensus first team All-ACC choice, had missed the previous 11 games dating back to the 2011 season due to a knee injury. The fifth-year senior recorded four tackles, one of them for a loss, and a pass breakup against the Mountaineers.

• Of the young players, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and quarterback Perry Hills have made the biggest impact in the first one-third of the regular season. Diggs has been a multi-faceted play-maker in the return game and as a receiver – he ranks second in the ACC and 16th nationally in all-purpose yards (160.5 ypg) and has a team-high 64.8 receiving yards per game which ranks ninth in the conference. Against then-No. 8 West Virginia two weeks ago, Diggs tallied 201 all-purpose yards including a team-high 113 receiving yards on three receptions. He had touchdown catches of 42 and 56 yards and was honored as the ACC Rookie of the Week. That came two weeks after Hills earned the same honor for his play in a 36-27 win at Temple.

• Hills, who is just the third true freshman quarterback to start for Maryland in school history (Randall Jones in 1998; Latrez Harrison in 1999), had his best collegiate game against the Mountaineers. He finished 20 of 29 for 305 yards and three touchdowns, all season highs. Despite his youth, Hills has capably directed the offense and has been at his best in the fourth quarter. He led Maryland on the game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter of the season opener against William & Mary, and on the season is 15 of 23 for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the final stanza.

• The Maryland running game has been a work in progress as four capable backs have all seen time this season. SophomoreJustus Pickett is the most experienced and started against Temple and Connecticut. True freshman Albert Reid started against William & Mary, and redshirt freshman Brandon Ross started against West Virginia after missing the first three games with a hamstring injury. Additionally, true freshman Wes Brown has a team-high 127 rushing yards and is averaging a team-best 5.5 yards per carry. Those four are listed as co-starters heading into the Wake Forest game.

• Maryland’s special teams units have also been relying on young players. Diggs has been handling the return game, true freshman Brad Craddock has been handling kickoffs and place-kicking duties with Nick Ferrara’s injury, and redshirt freshmanNathan Renfro has handled the punting.

Quick Hitters• A Terrapin has received Rookie of the Week honors twice in a three-week span as quarterback Perry Hills earned the award for his play against Temple and Stefon Diggs received it for the West Virginia game. Hills became the first Maryland true freshman QB to earn the award since Calvin McCall on 9/20/99, while Diggs became the first Maryland freshman receiver to earn it since Darrius Heyward-Bey on 10/30/06.

• Seven players made their first career starts in the season opener against William & Mary: quarterback Perry Hills, running back Albert Reid, safety Sean Davis, defensive back Jeremiah Johnson, linebacker Cole Farrand, nose tackle Darius Kilgoand offensive lineman Nick Klemm. Additionally, wide receiver Stefon Diggs made his first career start against Connecticut, while defensive back Isaac Goins and running back Brandon Ross made their starting debuts at West Virginia.

• Fourteen players saw their first career action for Maryland against William & Mary, and 22 players have seen their first career action for Maryland at some point this season (12 true freshmen, seven redshirt freshmen, two juniors, one senior).

• Diggs, who has 12 catches for 259 yards, is averaging 21.6 yards per catch. That ranks second among ACC receivers with 10 or more catches and ranks fourth among the top-100 receivers nationally.

• After recording just three catches for 33 yards in the first three games, tight end Matt Furstenburg found his form against West Virginia. The preseason All-ACC selection had four catches for 65 yards against the Mountaineers.

• Maryland’s defense allowed just 682 total yards to opponents through its first three games (William & Mary – 229, Temple – 230, Connecticut – 223). That marks its best defensive performance in a three-game span since 2004, when it held The Citadel (137), West Virginia (156) and Eastern Michigan (275) to a total of 568.

• West Virginia came into its game with Maryland averaging 612 yards of total offense and 55.5 points per game. The Terps held the Mountaineers well below those averages, surrendering 363 yards and 31 points, seven of which came on a fumble return for a TD by the WVU defense.

• The Terps have done a good job controlling the clock. In four games, Maryland has had the ball for an average of 30:41 to 29:19 for the opponent. That’s a major upgrade compared to 2011, when Maryland averaged just 25:16 a game to 34:44 for the opponent.

• The Terps are holding opponents to 2.3 yards per carry, which ranks fifth nationally. Of the opponents’ 145 rushing attempts this season, 101 (69.7%) have been for three yards or less (28 of 41 vs. William & Mary; 28 of 39 vs. Temple; 25 of 40 vs. Connecticut; 20 of 25 vs. West Virginia).

• Demetrius Hartsfield leads the team with 33 tackles and has had a hand in three turnovers, also a team high (one interception, two fumble recoveries).

• Head coach Randy Edsall hands out game balls for each win. In the win over William & Mary, Marcus Leak got the game ball for offense, Joe Vellano for defense and Nathan Renfro for special teams. In the win over Temple, Sal Conaboy got the game ball for offense, Demetrius Hartsfield for defense and A.J. Francis for special teams.

• Against William & Mary, Perry Hills became the first true freshman starter at quarterback for Maryland since Latrez Harrison in 1999. He also became the first freshman to start a season opener since redshirt freshman Calvin McCall on Sept. 2, 1999, in a 6-0 win over Temple.

• Maryland had 15 seniors on the 2011 roster, but just 12 of those players were listed on the two-deep at some point during the year. There are 17 seniors listed on the 2012 roster, and 13 are on the two-deep.

• Three Terps ended 2011 ranked among the top 12 in the ACC in tackles. Demetrius Hartsfield was second at 12.0 per game and Eric Franklin was sixth at 8.8. Joe Vellano was 12th with 7.8 per contest.

• Maryland owns a 42-17-1 advantage all-time against Wake Forest. The Terps’ .712 winning percentage against the Demon Deacons is the Terrapins’ best mark against any ACC school.

• In games played in College Park, Maryland holds a 21-8 advantage. The Terps have won the last two meetings at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (26-0 in 2008, 62-14 in 2010), and five of the past six. Wake Forest’s lone win in College Park in the past 13 years came in 2006.

• The Terps have won nine of the last 13 in the series. They won seven straight from 1999-2005. The Demon Deacons, though, have won four of the past six.

“Well obviously all the personnel stuff comes from Coach. But, I would agree that we want to put the best five out on the field. These guys with the changes that have been made obviously have done some things to earn the right to start for us.”

On what the new offensive linemen bring to the table:

“I think they both add athleticism up front. Obviously with Mike [Madaras] he’s one of the most athletic guys for a freshman that I’ve had the chance to see play. I think with every game he’s getting better. With [Andrew] Zeller he gives us a little more athleticism, a little more strength on the inside. I’m not saying those other guys worked or haven’t, but right now we feel those guys will give us the best chance to have some success. It’s creating competition we like to see throughout the offensive positions.”

If it’s unusual for a true freshman to come in and start at that posiiton:

“I would venture to say you don’t want to make a living out of starting a bunch of true freshmen on the offensive line. That’s the one position that maturity, strength, and all those things come as you develop with them in the system. Fortunately for us, Mike comes out of a program at Good Counsel where they’ve done a pretty good job obviously of bringing along their players. Whether it be from a strength standpoint or a technical standpoint, I would definitely say that’s not something you want to do a lot where you have too many true freshmen playing up front. You can get away with it at the perimeter positions, but inside there is where strength comes with age and maturity. We’re fortunate he’s come in with some pretty good skill set.”

On the most productive thing they got done in the bye week

“I think it just basically confirmed some things that we knew. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out what we’ve done well on the offensive side of the ball, which there’s a lot of things that we’ve got to continue to improve upon. One of the big things is that we wanted to come out, was to say who we were, what we did well. We feel like coming out of the bye week we were able to get some guys healthy, we were able to clean up some fundamental things that for us the execution part on the offensive side is really important and a lot of it stems from the fundamentals. When you play young players as we’ve had to do or inexperienced as even some of our older players haven’t played a lot of football, it’s important to make sure that you’re very technical and fundamental and the attention to detail is where it needs to be.”

On if it’s an advantage playing so many running backs:

“It’s an advantage from the standpoint that they each bring something different to the table. They each have, when you look at how we like to use them, we’re basically doing the things that they do well as opposed to having a guy out there that’s doing all the different things we ask that position to do. They all have warranted playing time, they all have done some good things in that they’ve each had their times where they’ve made plays for us. What we’d like to see is a guy kind of take that position by the rein and do some things, but we also want to put the best player on the field that gives us the best chance to be successful in particular areas of what we do on offense. If one guy’s a better pass protector, we like to have that guy on the field. If one guy’s a better short yardage runner, you like to have that luxury to do that. In a perfect world would you like a guy that does all four, no doubt. But when you have four guys that are sophomore or younger, I don’t think any of them have mastered all the different skills that are necessary to play every down.”

Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart

On what the most productive thing the defense got done during the bye week:

“Basically self scout, taking a look at what I call first down, second down, third down, and what I call against different formations. I feel like we need to get better on third down, so that was a big thing of concentration for us this bye.”

On what things they worked on to facilitate getting better:

“Well you look at what you call during different downs and distances. Third and short what were you calling, third and long what were you calling, what would you do over again, is it the call or is it the execution of the call. And then put all of those things down on paper, as a staff we look at it and kind of come to a conclusion after that.”

On what he saw out of Kenneth Tate in his first game back:

“I thought first of all there’s a calmness when he’s out there. The players like him and they know he’s a good player. Second of all, I think it was exciting to go out there in that atmosphere in that game in particular, as well as him getting a chance to play. That’s the first time he played in about 12-13 months so it had to be pretty exciting for him. I think he did a good job for us.”

On Tate’s his role this season:

“Yeah he just has to – the main thing we have to do is get him full strength. Get him to feel good about himself and his injuries and we’ll go from there.”

On A.J. Hendy’s injury status:

“The main thing is that we got two safeties that we’re pretty comfortable with – Matt Robinson and Erik Franklin. Those are our starting safeties so it’s going to be hard to play other guys that fit in behind those guys because we’re going to stick with our starters.”

On how far the defense is from being their best:

“I still think we’re a work in progress. We’re giving up way too many big plays, we got to be better on third down, and we got to tackle the catch. I just think that fortunately that’s a plus that we’re ranked and that we’re playing well. But there’s a lot of work and I think as long as we respect the process as a staff and as our players do, we can continue to get better and grow as a defense.”

On if he addressed rankings with the players:

“I discuss trying to get a win for the most part. You’re doing what it takes to win the football game. I don’t really address where we’re ranked.”

On if he’s surprised how quickly the players have adjusted to the defense:

“I think if you look traditionally at 3-4 defenses, usually the second year is their best year. You look at Coach [Wade] Phillips over with the Houston Texans, we run the exact same defense. You look at Dom Capers in his second year with the Green Bay Packers, they went to the Super Bowl. They give you an idea that the second-year guys just click, guys understand how they’re going to get blocked, the coverage aspect of everything. So, in the second year I think these guys have done a good job as well as the coaches. The coaches selling what we’re doing, and the players buying in and going forward with everything.”

If there is a reason why it takes to the second year:

“It’s just different, different principles. I think on the outside you got guys who are having their hand on the ground in the 4-3 scheme versus these guys are standing up taking on blocks without their hand in the ground. Also, the coverage aspects of it, the guy who is helping you in the flat instead of backed off in space, now he’s at the line of scrimmage, showing like he’s coming. So the coverages change, so I just think for guys to really understand, who’s going to help him where, how to play blocks, it just takes a while.”

On the biggest challenges Wake Forest’s offense presents:

“First of all I think they do a good job mixing up what they do. They do a good job running the ball, they’re a run-first team, and they have some great play-action passes off the same runs. For us to be successful, we have to make sure that we don’t make any mental errors, don’t give away any big plays, win on third down, and then contain [quarterback Tanner] Price when he has a chance to move around in the pocket. I think we’ll be alright.”

On what he’s learned from Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips:

“A lot of things I’ve learned from Coach Phillips. One of the main things is keep your guys playing fast, keep it simple, and when it’s simple it doesn’t mean anybody can do it. It means speaking their language and they understand what their responsibilities are. And those are the two main things I learned from Coach Phillips.”

On if he still talks to Phillips:

“Yes I talk to him as much as I can and ask him different questions about something as simple as ‘We’re playing against Connecticut. They run two tight end sets – what do you guys do now versus two tight end sets?’ Even some game management questions. So I still talk to him as much as I can.”

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy men’s basketball head coach Ed DeChellis has announced that Ernie Nestor will join the Navy coaching staff, replacing Kurt Kanaskie, who took a similar coaching position at Virginia Tech last month. Nestor comes to Navy after spending the last season at Missouri and has been successful at every stop he has been during his 43-year career in the coaching ranks.

“Coach Nestor brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and success to our program. He has been a successful coach at all levels and will be an important figure in our program moving forward,” said DeChellis. “He has coached and recruited outstanding student-athletes and is one of the most respected and well-liked coaches in the country.”

“I am excited to rejoin coach DeChellis and be part of the basketball program here at the Naval Academy. I have the utmost respect for the institution and am looking forward to working with the current staff and players in building a strong, competitive team,” said Nestor. “There is a great admiration for the Naval Academy and what it stands for. It is a distinct honor to be a small part of such a great institution.”

Nestor comes to Navy after spending last season at Missouri as an assistant coach. The Tigers went 30-5 a year ago, won the Big 12 Championship and were ranked in the nation’s top five for the majority of the season. He has been credited in the development of Mizzou big man Ricardo Ratliffe, who showed drastic improvement from 2010-11 to last season, when he led the country in field goal percentage (.693) and averaged 13.9 ppg and 7.5 rpg while earning all-Big 12 second-team honors. In addition, guard Kim English spoke highly of Coach Nestor and the work the duo accomplished during the year. English averaged 14.5 points per game and shot a blistering 45.9 percent from three-point range.

Nestor arrived at Mizzou after one season as the Director of Basketball Operations at Penn State University under DeChellis. The Nittany Lions were one of the country’s most improved teams in 2010-11, going 19-15 and earning an at-large spot in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.Nestor’s coaching experience began in 1970-71 with a six-year stint as a high school head coach, but continued with stops at James Madison (1977-79), Wake Forest (1980-85), California (1986-88), George Mason (1989-93), a return trip to Wake Forest (1994-01), South Carolina (2002-03), Elon (2004-2009), the New Jersey Nets (2010) and Penn State (2011).

Nestor is no stranger to player development and bench strategy at the major college level. He has spent time in the Pac-10, ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 conferences as an assistant during his four-decade collegiate coaching career and spent time on Dave Odom’s staff at Wake Forest. He has also twice been a Division I head coach during his career, with stints at both Elon College and George Mason. During his career, he has helped recruit and develop Tim Duncan, Josh Howard and Darius Songaila into NBA stars.

Nestor’s five seasons at George Mason and six years at Elon were as the program’s head coach. He led George Mason to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1989 and topped the 20-win mark each of his first two seasons while reaching the CAA Tournament finals in 1991. He returned to Wake Forest in 1993 and helped the Demon Deacons to ACC Championships in 1995 and 1996 while the 1996 club advanced to the NCAA regional final, where it fell to the eventual NCAA National Champion, Kentucky. The 2000 Wake Forest team was the NIT Champion.

Nestor returned to the head coaching ranks at Elon College in 2003 and he directed the school’s first winning season as a Division I program in 2006. The Phoenix won 15 games (15-14 overall), including a 74-69 win at Clemson. The team also claimed the Southern Conference’s North Division crown and Nestor was named the SoCon Coach of the Year by both the league’s coaches and media. His 2008 Elon team advanced to the Southern Conference Tournament final, where it was defeated by a Davidson squad led by Steph Curry that reached the NCAA Elite Eight.

During his collegiate coaching career, he has been a part of 11 teams that reached NCAA Tournament play and eight more that advanced to the NIT.

Nestor is a 1968 graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College (W. Va.) and he earned his graduate degree from West Virginia in 1970. He and his wife, Janet, have two children, Stephanie and Jennifer. They also have four grandchildren, Kodiak, Lucy, Clio and Jude.